The only site for emergency, last-minute help on what to wear this very second

Saturday, November 18, 2006

How To Dress Your Age

A reader writes: Hi Ms Jeepers

I have an emergency question. I am 43 and I have spiraled into fashioned uncertainty. Can I still wear lace blouses and skinny jeans? Platforms? I think I look good in them but maybe I don't. I have a good body (I have been told) and I am holding up well. Its not like a want to go raving but I hate the corporate suit look with a neat haircut. Ditto beige.Please help me! I would quite happily follow your advice to the 22 year old woman.

Signed,[name withheld]

Jeepers replies:Dear one,

What is this "raving" you speak of? To answer the question implied in your letter--"Do I have to dress my age?"--the answer is no. Don't dress your age, dress your dreams, aspirations, humor, and rank.

Most complaints against people "not dressing their age" are really about rank. Psychologically, people don't want to be confused. It's confusing to see a woman who looks like she could have a teenage daughter dress as if she were a teenager herself. Or, to look at it another way, people object to both underachievers and upstarts.

A twelve-year-old dressed in an army sergeant's uniform is disturbing; a 19-year-old wearing sergeant insignia is impressive; a 40-year-old with the same rank is suspicious, because you would expect someone his age be a sergeant major already. (No matter that the 40-year-old sergeant is in even better physical shape, and more handsome, than his younger brother-in-arms!)

So, when considering whether you'd look good in a particular piece, use the following checklist:

1. Do I look good?2. Do I feel good?3. Does it say something positive (and perhaps truthful) about my rank in life?4. Can I picture Sophia Loren wearing it?

The Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman's father once pointed to a photograph of people bowing to the pope, and said, "What's going on here? We have one group of humans bowing to another human. The only difference between the bowing humans and the pope, son? Epaulettes."

I'm really enjoying your blog, how about what to wear home to visit the family for the holidays? I'm there for a week and it will likely be rainy and chilly and there are three-year olds with whom I will be fighting over the mashed potatoes. But I will also be bringing my husband and don't want to descend into pajama-clad frumpiness just because I'm sleeping in my old room. Help!

I'm also 43 and let me tell you if you start catering to some so-called "confused folks" who want to control, catalog and catergorize you into some sort of mystical "ranking systems". You can kiss your style and individuality good-bye. Don't do anything for the masses! If there "confused" let 'em stay confused. Whatever you wear, love it, owe it, and wear it with hellva lot of confidence and it belongs to YOU and you deserve to wear it with joy.

It is not hard to find a woman these days who is having trouble dressing her age. It's an understandable dilemma, especially for women who live in locations that don't have a lot of shopping options. Wal-Mart has clearly defined kids and adult clothing, but nothing that really speaks to a fashion-conscious person in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. costa rica vacation rentals Even Kohls, who only recently has come out with styles by Vera Wang and under the Apt 9 and Daisy Fuentes labels, has a large selection for teens and more mature women, but not a lot for other age groups to choose from.http://www.meadbrown.com

What’s the difference between Boyfriend Jeans and Mom Jeans? Age. O, The Oprah Magazine delivers five fashion trends that work for everyone. Sportsbook Really? How many people would be horrified to find themselves the butt of all jokes in the middle of Paris? Well, former fashionistas need to listen up: Boyfriend jeans are cute on girls who are young enough to have “boyfriends”. However, online betting any woman who has walked this earth for over half a century has “lovers” not "boyfriends". When 7 For All Mankind comes out with a new jeans style, made with 5-10% Lycra, no buttons, no loops, pull-on or side zip waist, a tight fitting (mom) butt, and calls it “My Married Lover’s Jeans”, then 57-year-old women will be happy to wear them on the Paris Metro with no fear of snickers. march madness No Boyfriend jeans, no rips, dirt, or paint splatters (except actual artists) should be worn after 50! Until some entrepreneurial soul comes up with a pair of decent jeans for Boomer Chicks, here are some of the best bets:http://www.canadacasino.com

You still have your classic polo shirt,dominical costa rica tours but your skirts are now a little bit longer. Mix that polo shirt with a pencil skirt or something fuller. In your teens you desired to make really bold statements and to separate yourself from the masses. Individuality was the objective, and you weren’t afraid to take risks. People expected you to do crazy things. Many of those risks might still be on your agenda in your twenties, but you need to become a little more modest, especially if you have to consider the workplace.This is the time to try a tight pair of jeans with a crisp, white button-down shirt, a bold and funky belt, and either a pair of boots or heels. If you don’t feel so sure about your figure, go for solid colors and a very classic silhouette — not necessarily the tight jeans, but maybe a pair of black stretch pants or younger fitted trousers; not too tight, not too baggy.http://www.dominicalcostaricatours.com

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RIGHT ON ANONYMOUS! I'm 43 too, and I dress like I'm 33 and I probably always will, but then again, I look 33...good black don't crack and clean living and a gym membership go a long way. Kilim Desenleri ismek elsanatı

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